A vacant site bound by Nelson Street, Great Georges Street and Little York Street.
Olympian Homes, Like Architects and TSA Planning submitted a planning application (LA04/2016/1252/F) in June 2016 proposing to develop 774no. purpose built managed student accommodation rooms within an 11-storey building. The application was approved in January 2017.
Olympian completed the acquisition of the land from Artemis Developments Ltd in May 2017.
PBSA Nelson Street SARL, Fletcher Joseph Associates and Turley submitted a planning application (LA04/2021/2893/F) in December 2021 proposing to develop a 12 storey Purpose Built Managed Student Accommodation (PBMSA) building comprising 774no. beds and sports and recreation facilities (as an amendment to permission LA04/2016/1252/F). The application was recommended approval at the May 2022 Belfast Planning Committee.
Dawson WAM commenced piling in December 2021. On completion the building will be operated by Student Roost.
Site History
Ruskin Properties Limited submitted a planning application (Z/2004/0714/F) in 2004 proposing to develop 48no. apartments in four storey buildings and 18no. three storey terraced houses. The application was approved in January 2006. The scheme, referred to as ‘Little Italy’, was reportedly to be developed for a social housing association to acquire.
The site was sold to Big Picture Developments Ltd for £3.5m in July 2006. Big Picture Developments Ltd and RPP Architects submitted a planning application (Z/2008/0824/F) in March 2008 proposing to develop a 17-storey (66.5m) building comprising 148no. apartments, 180,000ft2 of office accommodation and a double level basement car-park. The applicant revised the scheme in September 2009 to propose a 12-storey (38.5m) building comprising 238no. apartments. Big Picture Developments proposed to provide 20% of the apartments for social housing use. DoE Planning issued a recommendation to approve the application in January 2011, subject to a condition that the two lowest residential levels were to be managed by a registered housing association. A final decision notice was not issued and further the application was considered further by DoE Planning. In September 2011 a recommendation to refuse the application was issued. The application was approved in October 2014 following a Planning Appeals Commission decision relating to the outline planning application (Z/2012/0352/O) referred to below.
Nelson Street Partnership submitted an outline planning application (Z/2012/0352/O) in March 2012 proposing an 11-storey building comprising 217no. apartments with car-parking on the ground and first floor. The building was designed in three blocks arranged around a central landscaped courtyard. Documents submitted with the planning application proposed that Block A (69no. apartments) would provide social housing apartments and Blocks B & C (148no. apartments) would provide private apartments. DoE Planning issued a recommendation to refuse the application in July 2012. The applicant appealed the decision and the Planning Appeals Commission issued a decision (2012/A0079) to grant outline planning permission in May 2013.
